Rock and blues legend Riho Sibul constantly amazes, astounds, astonishes, pick your own absolute superlative. He has been active for decades on Estonia’s music scene in various contexts - as a guitarist in groups mixing electric jazz and progressive rock, as leader, singer and guitarist in Estonia’s first supergroup Ultima Thule. His approach has been described as “implosive”, not “explosive”, and that should be evident to anyone familiar with the Ultima Thule classic “Liivimaa pastoraal”. This Sibul composition, although driven by heavy guitar and deeply pulsating drum work, sung in a gravelly whiskybarrel-deep voice still remains a reflective, most pastoral musing. No wonder that Sibul is considered by many to be synonymous for good taste on the Estonian music scene.
We now find Sibul as the guest artist on the debut recording of The Estonian Dream Big Band. The EDBB has established a formidable pedigree of their own since its founding in 1998. Their debut public performance was under the baton of no less than Frank Foster, Count Basie’s long-time tenor soloist and the band’s musical director after Basie’s death. Since then their concerts have seen such guest artists as Ray Anderson, Lew Soloff, the New York Voices and numerous Scandinavian, Baltic and Russian jazz greats. Their aim has always been to redefine musical borders - and to stretch these new definitions.
On this fine, fine disc they have certainly attained their stated goal. Dedicated to ballads, inspired by those such as Nick Drake, EDBB has recorded a gem that is musically poignant, never intrusive, while remaining true to experimentation. Only once does this goal fall slightly short of expectations, with the curious choice of Van Morrison’s “Moondance.” Somehow, even Sibuls’ sensitive interpretation of the lyrics does not make one forget the Irishman’s original.
On the other seven cuts of this far-too short CD EDBB evokes the inner emotions present in the originals with sensitivity and sincerity. For this we have arranger Raul Sööt to thank. Sööt is a saxophonist and composer who is now active in the US. Like Sibul, he attributes his approach to both performing and arranging to heeding his inner voice in concert with listening to the song itself.
The underappreciated Nick Drake features prominently on three cuts. His ballad “River Man”, the opening selection, has inspired Sööt to create whirling eddies of lush sounds. John Martyn, in turn, was inpired by “River Man” to write “Solid Air”, a sweet-voiced euphonic eulogy to Drake after the latter’s passing in 1974. Sibul is the perfect interpreter here, and to my mind this the finest cut on a splendid recording. Drake’s “Parasite” is also to be found on this platter.
Meelis Unt’s soprano sax solo on Jerome Kern’s “Yesterdays” is confirmation yet again of Unt’s mastery of an instrument that when abused becomes shrill rather than producing the smooth, warbling trills heard here.
No surprise whatsoever to find a Tom Waits composition on such a project. “Johnsburg Illinois”, here arranged by Tõnu Kõrvits, himself a composer and arranger of growing importance, is the final selection on the record, and one that also needs to be singled out for its mellifluous and mystical musical power. Mihkel Metsala’s flugelhorn solo is non pareil, Sibul croons Waits-like about his love, of not being able to live without her. Emotional without being messy, sensitive without being sappy - a good way to describe this entire debut recording.
EDBB’s conductor Jüri Leitgen appreciates the talent found here, allowing soloists the necessary space, ensuring that all parts of this finely tuned Big Band contribute to a tightly knit sound. Leiten is also one of the producers along with Sibul and Aleksei Saks, who can also be heard on trumpet in the ensemble. A great co-operative effort, and the folks at Seawolf Studios have done their bit to ensure the poignancy captured by the musicians is intimately transferred to the listener.